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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Scott Henderson
Contemporary Communications
(604) 734-3663
scott.henderson@ccpr.com
http://www.prioritymanagement.com
International Survey Finds Love for
Technology may Contribute to a Loss of Productivity and Increased
Stress
ROCHESTER, NY - November 21, 2000 (INB)
-- Business people today are enthusiastic users of new technology
but struggle to balance personal and professional demands on
their time, according to a recent survey. This "Tech Rich:
Time Poor" workforce is unable to translate the potential
of technology into increased personal productivity. The survey
of more than 500 people, conducted by worldwide training company
Priority Management http://www.prioritymanagement.com,
finds the use of technology is growing dramatically. From Internet
use to cell phones to wireless devices, technology is omnipresent
in today's workplace. But there is strong evidence that individuals
don't have the skills to derive the productivity potential from
this technology.
"Technology has accelerated the pace
of work, contributed to long working hours and generated high
levels of stress. The result is 'tech stress,'" says Dan
Stamp, Chairman of Priority Management. "We find that management
skills amnesia is pervasive. People have forgotten the importance
of such basics as planning and goal-setting while rushing to
acquire the latest technology tools. Workers haven't had time
to adapt and evolve to a tech rich environment."
"Technology on its own won't improve
your personal productivity," says Stamp. "If technology
is meeting its promise, why do people still feel so overwhelmed
by work? It's because they don't know how to make the technology
work for them. Instead, they run the risk of being slaves to
technology. It's making them busier but not necessarily more
productive and certainly not happier."
The online survey of more than 500 business
people around the world revealed that 92 percent of respondents
said they were not using new technologies at their maximum capacity.
Forty percent said technology was not helping them to achieve
personal goals. And an alarming 25 percent said they started
using new technologies not to make them more productive but just
to keep up with technology trends.
The survey also found there is more stress
than satisfaction in today's workplace. Sixty percent of respondents
feel stressed three days or more a week, and a scant five percent
say they feel a sense of personal accomplishment at the end of
every day.
"Technology makes us accessible at
all times but we are just starting to realize that just because
you can be accessible, doesn't mean you should be," explains
Stamp. "The lines between our professional and personal
lives are blurring thanks to cell phones, pagers, e-mail and
the wireless revolution. Our survey shows that our personal lives
are the losers."
The urge to be accessible and trendy could
be creating an addiction to technology. Priority Management offers
a 12-step program to overcome technology addiction and improve
personal productivity.
Full details of Priority Management's "Tech
Rich: Time Poor" report and the 12-step program can be found
at http://www.prioritymanagement.com. |